Archive for April, 2009

Bud break in the vineyard is an exciting but nerve-racking time. We hope and pray for no frost, which can damage our little buds. Some low temps were here the last two nights, but so far no visible damage. Today it is warming up and we are hoping the threat of frost is behind us. Such is the life of the farmer, so dependent on weather!

It was a clear beautiful day in San Francisco. During my spring break I traveled North to visit various restaurants and wine folk in an effort to market our Petite Sirah.

I had an appointment at Fine Wines International with an address on Pier 19. I was thrilled to find parking across the street and I fed the meter a dollar in quarters. In San Francisco parking can be a major obstacle and expense.

Time to retrieve my phone from the depths of my purse and give the business a ring. I needed a little directional help because I could not figure out where on pier 19 this business was located. I was greeted by a pleasant sounding gentlemen who informed me that I needed to drive into Pier 19 and park inside. I questioned him twice, because I had never driven into a pier. Visions of the police following me with sirens blaring swarmed in my head. I am a California native and have lived near San Francisco in the pre-kid years, but had never heard of driving into a pier. He reassured me that it was quite all right, so I dutifully gave up my metered parking spot and pulled around to the pier.

I turned in to see a narrow driveway lined with fenced cubicles draped in blue tarps. Each large square fenced cubicle housed a business. Many of the businesses seemed to be related to wine. After locating Fine Wines and entering the blue tarped cubicle, to my surprise, I found a free standing building inside the space. Once inside, the industrial feel of the pier faded away and I was standing in a tastefully decorated office space.

While inside I looked out the window that opened up to the bay. A large metal door stood open to expose the pier across the water. The view revealed old abandoned railroad tracks that had been used to load cargo directly from ship to rails many years ago. Glancing back towards the city, the view highlighted a very famous landmark Coit Tower. This was such a surprise to discover this site so rich in history, a side of San Francisco I had never seen or experienced. Our meeting began and they were very positive about my wine. I asked permission to blog about their unique location, they granted my request and I hope I will be returning in the years to come.